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How beef by-products showcase sustainability

An estimated 44% of a cow's carcass is not use for food, according to the North American Meat Institute.

Beef Producer | Nov 25, 2015

A new Meat MythCrusher video is focusing on what happens to the sizeable portion of animal carcasses that are rendered into products other than meat.

The video, produced by the Meat Institute and the American Meat Science Association, features Dale Woerner, Ph.D., associate professor at Colorado State University who says, "Rendering certainly adds to the sustainability of our industry in that we repurpose or reuse almost the entire animal for many things. We're able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that can be equated to 12 million cars per year off U.S. roadways."

Woener explains that the additional products derived from animals such as leather, medicines, cosmetics and pet food are often not included in calculations of sustainability cited in the media.

According to NAMI, by-products from cattle and other species are routinely used in a variety of ways. Textile, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other industries are all able to find a functional use for animal by-products.